How To Make An Email Template In Outlook

Creating an email template in Outlook saves you from typing the same message over and over again. This is perfect for sending weekly reports, answering common customer questions, or sending welcome messages to new clients. This guide shows you how to create, save, and use your own custom email templates in the desktop version of Microsoft Outlook. Following these steps will help you save time, reduce errors, and ensure your emails are consistent and professional every time.

Fast Answer

Key Action: Save a new email as an Outlook Template file.
Menu Path: In a new email, go to File > Save As.
File Type: Choose Outlook Template (*.oft) from the dropdown menu.
How to Use: Go to New Items > More Items > Choose Form... and look in "User Templates in File System".

5-10 minutes Time needed

Easy Difficulty

Finding the template Watch out for

Before You Start

Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need. This process is straightforward, but having the right software and a clear plan will make it even smoother.

Microsoft Outlook Desktop App: You need the full desktop version of Outlook for Windows or Mac. The web version (Outlook.com) has a different, simpler feature that isn't covered here.
Email Content: Have an idea of the email you want to turn into a template. Think about the subject line, the body text, and any standard attachments you always include.
Placeholders: Consider where you'll need to add custom information later. It's helpful to use clear placeholders like [Client Name] or [Report Date] that are easy to find and replace.

Check first: This guide is for the desktop version of Outlook. The web-based version of Outlook uses a different feature called "My Templates" which has fewer capabilities and a different setup process. Ensure you are using the installed application on your computer.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps carefully to create, save, and use your first email template in Outlook. We'll walk through the entire process from a blank email to a reusable template.

1. Open a New Email Message

The first step is to start with a blank canvas. You will compose your template inside a new email window, just as you would with a regular message. This is where you'll add all the text, formatting, and attachments that you want to save for later use.

To do this, open your Outlook application. In the top-left corner of the Home tab, click the "New Email" button. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N on Windows or Command + N on a Mac. A new, empty email window will appear.

2. Compose Your Template Content

Now, write the body of the email exactly as you want it to appear in your template. This is the most important part of the process. Think about what information stays the same every time you send this type of email. Include greetings, standard paragraphs, closing remarks, and your email signature.

For parts of the email that will change each time, use clear placeholders. This makes it easy to customise the message later. For example, you might write:

"Hi [Client Name],"

"Here is the weekly project update for [Project Name]. Please review the attached document and let us know if you have any questions."

You can also apply formatting like bold text, italics, bullet points, and colours. If you always send the same file—like a brochure, a price list, or a standard form—you can attach it now by clicking the "Attach File" button. The attachment will be saved as part of the template.

Tip: Don't fill in the "To:", "Cc:", or "Bcc:" fields. Leaving them blank ensures you don't accidentally send the template to the wrong person when you use it later.

3. Add a Standard Subject Line

Just like the body content, the subject line is also saved in the template. Adding a subject line now saves you an extra step each time you use the template. A good template subject line is descriptive and may also include placeholders for information you'll add later.

For example, a good subject line for a weekly report template might be: "Weekly Status Report: [Project Name] - [Date]". For a customer support reply, it could be: "Regarding your query: [Ticket Number]". This helps you and the recipient immediately identify the email's purpose.

4. Save the Email as an Outlook Template

Once you are happy with your subject, body, and attachments, it's time to save it as a template file. This is a special step that tells Outlook to save the email as a reusable pattern, not as a regular draft.

In the new email window, click on the "File" tab in the top-left corner. This will take you to the backstage view. From the menu on the left, select "Save As". A file saving dialogue box will appear. This is where you tell your computer what to call the file and what type of file it should be.

5. Choose the Correct File Type and Name

This is the most critical technical step. In the "Save As" window, click on the "Save as type" dropdown menu located below the file name field. From the list of options, select "Outlook Template (*.oft)".

When you select this option, Outlook will automatically change the save location to its default user templates folder. This is normal. Now, give your template a clear, descriptive name in the "File name" field, such as "Weekly Project Report" or "New Client Welcome". Click the "Save" button. You can now close the original email message window without saving it as a draft.

6. Find and Use Your New Template

Now that your template is saved, you need to know how to open it to create a new message. The process is a bit hidden, but easy once you know where to look.

From the main Outlook window, go to the "Home" tab. In the "New" group, click on "New Items", then hover over "More Items", and finally click on "Choose Form...".

A new window called "Choose Form" will open. At the top, there is a dropdown menu labelled "Look In:". Click this menu and select "User Templates in File System". You should now see the template file you saved earlier in the list below. Select your template and click the "Open" button. A new email will appear, pre-filled with all the content from your template, ready for you to edit and send.

Tip: The "User Templates in File System" option is where all your custom .oft files are stored. If you have many templates, this is where you will find all of them.

7. Create a Shortcut for Faster Access (Optional)

Accessing templates through the "Choose Form" menu can feel a bit slow if you use them frequently. For quicker access, you can create a shortcut on your desktop or pin the template to the Outlook icon on your taskbar.

First, find the template file on your computer. The easiest way is to type %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates into the Windows search bar or File Explorer address bar and press Enter. This will take you directly to the folder. Find your .oft file, right-click it, and drag it to your desktop, choosing "Create shortcuts here". Alternatively, you can drag the .oft file and drop it directly onto the Outlook icon pinned to your taskbar. Now, clicking the shortcut will instantly open a new email based on your template.

Quick Reference

Use this table to decide when and how to use email templates for different tasks.

Situation	Use this	Why
Sending a weekly project update to stakeholders.	A template with a pre-filled subject, introduction, and section headings (e.g., "Achievements," "Next Steps").	Ensures all key information is included and maintains a consistent reporting format each week.
Replying to a common customer support question.	A template with the complete, pre-written answer, links to help articles, and a standard closing signature.	Provides fast, accurate, and professional responses, improving customer satisfaction and saving support time.
Onboarding a new client or team member.	A template with a welcome message, a checklist of first steps, and links to important documents or resources.	Standardises the welcome process, ensures no crucial information is missed, and creates a positive first impression.
Requesting information from different departments.	A template with a clear request, a list of the specific information needed, and a deadline placeholder.	Reduces back-and-forth communication by making the request clear and complete from the start.

Common Problems When You Make an Email Template In Outlook

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are a few common issues you might encounter and how to solve them quickly.

I can't find my saved template.

This is the most common problem. If you go to "Choose Form" and don't see your template, make sure you have selected "User Templates in File System" from the "Look In:" dropdown menu. Outlook often defaults to a different library. If it's still missing, you may have accidentally saved it in a different folder. Try the "Save As" process again and pay close attention to the folder location after you select "Outlook Template (*.oft)".

My formatting looks strange or breaks.

If you copy and paste text from Microsoft Word or a website, it can sometimes carry over complex formatting code that doesn't work well in Outlook emails. To avoid this, it's best to type the content directly into the Outlook email window. If you must paste text, right-click and choose the "Keep Text Only" paste option, then re-apply any formatting you need using Outlook's own tools.

The template opens for editing instead of creating a new email.

If you find your .oft file in your computer's file system and double-click it, the template itself will open for editing. This is how you make changes to the template. To create a new message from the template, you must use the "New Items > More Items > Choose Form..." method in Outlook, or use a shortcut you created. This action creates a copy, leaving your original template untouched.

Advanced Tips for Email Templates

Once you've mastered the basics, you can use these advanced techniques to make your templates even more powerful and flexible.

Use Quick Parts for Reusable Content Blocks

Sometimes you don't need a full email template, but just a reusable snippet of text, like a specific legal disclaimer, a product description, or a complex set of instructions. Outlook's Quick Parts feature is perfect for this. Simply highlight the text in an email, go to the "Insert" tab, click "Quick Parts", and select "Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery". You can then insert this block of text into any email with just two clicks.

Share Templates With Your Team

An Outlook template is just a file with an ".oft" extension. This makes it incredibly easy to share with colleagues. You can email the .oft file to your team members, and they can save it to their own templates folder. For larger teams, you can store a library of standard templates on a shared network drive so everyone has access to the most up-to-date versions.

Customise the Quick Access Toolbar

If you use templates constantly, you can add a permanent shortcut to the "Choose Form" window to your Quick Access Toolbar (the small icons at the very top of the Outlook window). To do this, click the small down-arrow at the end of the toolbar, select "More Commands...", change the "Choose commands from" dropdown to "All Commands", find "Choose Form..." in the list, click "Add >>", and then "OK". Now you can access your templates with a single click.

How To Make An Email Template In Outlook FAQ

Can I make an email template in the web version of Outlook?

Yes, but it's a different feature. The web version uses "My Templates," which is part of the "Add-ins" feature. It's good for saving and inserting blocks of text, but it's less powerful than the desktop version's .oft templates. For example, you cannot save attachments in a "My Templates" item.

How do I edit an existing Outlook email template?

To edit a template you've already saved, you need to open the original .oft file. Navigate to the templates folder (by typing %appdata%\Microsoft\Templates into the File Explorer address bar), find your file, and double-click it. This will open the template for editing. Make your changes and then click "Save" and close the window.

Do Outlook templates work on a Mac?

Yes, the process on Outlook for Mac is very similar. When you save the file, you will choose "Outlook for Mac Template (.emltpl)" as the file format. To use the template, you go to File > New > Email From Template.

Is there a limit to how many templates I can create?

No, there is no practical limit to the number of templates you can create and save. You can create as many as you need to cover all your repetitive email tasks. Just be sure to give them clear file names so you can easily find the one you need.

Final Checklist for Making an Email Template in Outlook

Use this final checklist to make sure you've completed all the key steps correctly.

You started with a "New Email" in the Outlook desktop app.
The email body and subject line are written, using placeholders like [Name] for custom details.
Any standard attachments have been added to the message.
You have used the File > Save As menu option.
You selected "Outlook Template (*.oft)" from the "Save as type" dropdown list.
The template was saved with a clear, descriptive file name.
You can successfully find and open the template via New Items > More Items > Choose Form... and selecting "User Templates in File System".